


Chasing Fire

by buttstrife



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Fae!Taeyong, M/M, Reincarnation, Supernatural Elements, Time Travel, Vampire!Doyoung
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-25
Updated: 2018-05-25
Packaged: 2019-05-13 15:47:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14751762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/buttstrife/pseuds/buttstrife
Summary: As a half-human, half-fae, Taeyong knows better than to become embroiled in the dangerous affairs of the vampire Doyoung.But something stronger than fate is pulling them together.





	Chasing Fire

It is nightfall when the screaming starts. “Help! Please!”

Taeyong whips his head around, caught in surprise. In these parts of the town, at this time of the night, Taeyong knows he should stuff his hands into his pockets and turn the other way. But he can sense the other being – the one making the dolphin-like screams as a fae being, and Taeyong, as a fae himself, cannot just walk away.

Considering his options for only a few seconds, Taeyong sighs, knowing his friends will reprimand him for this if he even makes it out alive. With no one else to investigate the noise and help out the poor person, Taeyong runs down the street, turning into the alleyway where the screams are still coming from. He slows down when he sees a figure.

“Hey, are you all right?” Taeyong asks, crouching down to be on the same level. He extends his hand out, wary. The blond-haired kid in front of him is a fae, but something feels off about his aura. Faes usually have a clear aura, untouched by darkness, but this boy’s reminds him of one typical of a vampire. Something doesn’t feel right, so Taeyong stands back up, afraid.

The kid looks up, tears having stained his cheeks, and Taeyong almost buys the act. Taeyong spins around, bumping straight into someone who is definitely a vampire.

“Good job, Chenle,” the vampire says, looking awfully innocent for such a wicked creature. “This one smells like fae.”

“That’s because he is a fae, Renjun.” Chenle gets up from the ground, previous distress already replaced by the look of hunger, fangs already on display.

Taeyong panics, backing away from the both of them only to see three more youthful-looking vampires join the fray. “H-Hey, I’m only part fae, so I’m not really that tasty,” Taeyong says, attempting to placate them. Even with his fae powers, Taeyong figures there is no way he can take on five vampires. He is backed into the brick wall by one of the vampires with an eye-smile that would be cute under any other circumstances but is ultimately murderous and frightening.

“I’ve always wanted to taste a fae,” the vampire says.

“Leave some for us,” Chenle whines. “I did all the work, after all.”

Seeing the fangs nearing, Taeyong squeezes shut his eyes. He really shouldn’t have been out at this time of night. Oh this was all Ten’s fault for sending him on a condom fetch quest whilst simultaneously sexiling him. God, Ten was the worst. This was all Ten’s fault. If Taeyong came back as a ghost, he was so going to haunt the fuck out of Ten. Did faes even come back as ghosts, or did they come back as—

“Jeno, what are you doing?” comes a new voice.

The fangs that Taeyong could feel prickling at his skin pull away. Taeyong blinks open his eyes to see Jeno, the vampire on him, step away and pout.

“I just wanted to try hunting for myself, Doyoung hyung,” Jeno says, twiddling his thumbs. “It wasn’t my idea anyway. Jaemin—”

“Jeno! Way to throw me under the bus!” says another of the vampires, right before the others start pitching in too with their excuses. Their squabbles have the vampires turning their attention away from Taeyong, giving him room to breathe and possibly make a run for it.

Watching on, dumbfounded, Taeyong glances at his saviour, doubling back to look again after the first look doesn’t satisfy him.

“Shush, all of you,” Doyoung says, his quiet, sharp voice silencing them, pressing his index finger against his lips. He has a dainty hand with thin fingers. “And what do we say to the poor handsome stranger we attacked?”

“Sorry?” Jeno says, bowing at Taeyong and backing away.

“Yeah, sorry, sir, we didn’t mean to,” Chenle adds, running behind Jeno.

“We totally meant to, but whatever,” Renjun says, sniffing in disappointment.

Jaemin shrugs, and the last kid – a blond-haired one who somehow manages to look younger than everyone else makes a pained face as his apology.

The five young vampires disappear into the night, and Taeyong has no idea how they manage to blend in with the shadows so well, but then his attention is brought back to his saviour.

“The name’s Doyoung,” he says, stepping forward into the light. Doyoung’s hair falls across his eyes. He has blood red irises, deathly pale skin, and eyes that pierce straight through his soul. He is a vampire too, and most likely stronger than the others if he can command them to his will.

“Thanks…” Taeyong presses his hand to where Jeno had nearly bitten him. “Thanks for saving me… I have to go.”

“I’ll walk you home,” Doyoung says, calmly stepping next to him and matching his pace. He hides his hands in the pockets of his black leather jacket. “Can’t be too careful on the streets these days.”

Flustered, Taeyong stops in his tracks and shakes his head. “You really don’t have to. You should go back to doing what you vampires like doing most.”

“And what’d that be?” Doyoung asks, eyebrow raised in query. “Sucking blood?”

“Yeah?” Taeyong blurts out in reply before his self-preservation instincts kick in. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that.”

“Yes, you did.” Doyoung braces Taeyong against the wall, and Taeyong has no one to blame but himself for getting into this mess, a second time. Doyoung leans in close, breathing him in.

Knees buckling, Taeyong feels weak, as though Doyoung has him enthralled in a love spell. He watches Doyoung lick his lips and finds himself strangely enticed by the thought of kissing him.

“What is it you want me to do to you?” Doyoung asks, voice low as he closes the distance between them and stops just short of his lips. “Do you want me to kiss you? Or to press my lips against your skin”—Doyoung ghosts his lips down his neck and Taeyong finds himself _wanting_ —“and drink from you? Is that what you want?”

Taeyong watches as Doyoung pulls away, a smirk on his infuriating lips.

“Don’t worry, I won’t eat you… today,” Doyoung says. “I’m already full from my meal tonight. Come on then, I’ll walk you home – no frills, no thrills.”

Directing his most impressive glare at Doyoung, Taeyong crosses his arms and trudges forward. If Doyoung wants to be his night-time bodyguard, then fine. “Why’d you rescue me?”

“Felt like doing something good for once,” Doyoung replies nonchalantly. “Also, has anyone told you how attractive you are? It was hard not to come to your rescue.”

“Thanks, I guess.” Taeyong tries not to blush at the compliment.

They make the rest of the way to Taeyong’s place in relative quiet, Doyoung adding in a few words every now and then because he cannot seem to stop trying to provoke a response from Taeyong. The more Taeyong thinks about it, the less Doyoung seems like some otherworldly creature, and more as a lonely old man who looks like a young adult.

“How old are you anyway?” Taeyong asks.

Doyoung, in reality, doesn’t look any older than him.

“A millennia, give or take,” Doyoung says, shrugging. “I stopped keeping track around the two hundredth death-day.”

Taeyong stops in his tracks when he realises he is at his apartment block. “I would’ve thought that someone your age would have better things to do than walking someone like me home.”

“Hey, that’s ageist.” Doyoung then says, “Plus, I really haven’t seen anyone with a face like yours before.”

“Wow, you’re laying the compliments on real thick, huh.” Taeyong swipes his key card and enters the lobby. Before closing the door in Doyoung’s face, he adds, “Sounds like you’re really desperate to get laid.”

Doyoung rolls his eyes, watching him from across the glass door. Vampires are unlucky enough to not be allowed entrance to homes unless they are invited in by the owners.

With a small wave goodbye, Taeyong heads to his ground-level unit, the only one that came with a garden. Inserting the key, Taeyong feels his racing heart finally slow down now that Doyoung is gone. Doyoung may be a vampire, a bloodthirsty demon who can and will kill him without an inkling of guilt, but Taeyong has never wanted to forgo all common sense and give in until now, until tonight, until Doyoung.

 

*

 

Taeyong is cooking dinner when the doorbell rings.

“Jungwoo, can you get the door?” Taeyong shouts, worried that if he takes his eyes off the stove, he might burn the sauce. It’s not often that he gets to cook for Jungwoo and Yukhei, who are visiting only because it’s a Midsummer Eve and fae culture dictates a coming together around a hearth at such times (Jungwoo, because he is Taeyong’s only fae cousin, and Yukhei, because he is Jungwoo’s plus one). Even though Taeyong had grown out of fae parties and the like, with how wild they can get and the supernatural baddies they unwittingly invite, he still enjoys catching up over a home-cooked meal. Ten always did say he was a sucker for human-like domesticity.

“It’s for you!” Jungwoo shouts back, although his shouts still sound like whispers thanks to his soft voice.

Placing his spatula on the counter-top, Taeyong turns off the stove and wipes his hands on a tea towel. Making his way to the door, he has half a mind to not slam the door in the face of their visitor. “Thanks, I’ll take it from here,” Taeyong says, dismissing Jungwoo, and steadfastly locking eyes with the man – vampire – at his doorstep.

Jungwoo waves goodbye at the vampire, too friendly for his own good, and skips away.

“Won’t you invite me in?” Doyoung says, voice low and eyes piercing. Taeyong won’t ever get used to how red his eyes are. Doyoung is dressed like a nineteenth century man lost in the millennial age, willowy white shirt open in a deep V tucked into a tight black distressed jeans. Doyoung smiles, revealing his sharp canines for a flashing second, although Taeyong has always found them more creepy than charming. Okay, scratch that – how is Taeyong meant to find Doyoung creepy when his smile is kind of lopsided, and his gums are visible as though the power of his smile is unable to be contained by his mouth or something of that sort. Damn, Doyoung is cute, even when he smiles like a maniac, and it has Taeyong conflicted.

“Why would I invite you in?” Taeyong replies, crossing his arms. “So you can eat me?”

“I won’t eat you,” Doyoung says in a haughty manner. “Unless you want me to eat you out?”

“You know those two things don’t mean the same thing. You can’t fool me with the ‘I’m still stuck in the medieval ages’ act.” Taeyong hopes his blush isn’t showing. Doyoung might know how to get others hot and bothered, but Taeyong refuses to play his game.

“You sound like you have no idea how old I am.”

“How would I know how old you are?” Taeyong huffs. “Not everything is about you.”

“I told you, literally last night! Y’know when I rescued you from that coven of rogue vampires.” Doyoung looks nonplussed.

“You want thanks? I got nothing,” Taeyong says, knowing how much vampires love the scent of fae blood. Doyoung might have saved him yesterday, but vampires are never good Samaritans. Call it his seventh sense, but Taeyong can tell Doyoung is up to something diabolical and hurries to shut the door.

Doyoung kicks his foot out, stopping the door from closing. “Haha, jokes, Jungwoo already invited me in.”

“Oh my fucking—” Taeyong’s scream stops in his throat, as he wills himself to not let Doyoung get the better of him.

In a matter of seconds, Doyoung has already thrown the door open and is standing the barest of distances from Taeyong.

“Hey, there’s a thing called personal space…” Taeyong says, trailing off when he meets Doyoung’s cold, hard gaze. He wonders if Doyoung is actually capable of warmth.

Doyoung leans down, lips nearly brushing against the shell of Taeyong’s ear. “Maybe you could teach me,” he whispers, breath cool on Taeyong’s skin.

Taeyong feels his blood rush – whether from fear or attraction, he doesn’t want to know. “If you try to drink from anyone – if you even dare to look at anyone’s neck, I won’t hesitate to stake you,” Taeyong says, pushing Doyoung away to a safe arm’s distance, as he spins around and walks away.

“Ouch,” Doyoung replies with no heart, as expected of an undead creature. Immediately cheering up, Doyoung walks ahead of Taeyong as though he already knows the layout of the house. “You have no faith in me. I’m wounded.”

“I’ll show you wounded if you keep that up.”

In the end, Doyoung ends up seated opposite Taeyong, feet kicking his every now and then. Jungwoo and Yukhei are seated beside them. While Yukhei is tucking in like a ravenous demon, Doyoung isn’t even eating any of the food; Taeyong can’t figure out why Doyoung is here.

“He likes you,” comes Jungwoo’s breezy voice, directed at Taeyong after reading his mind.

Taeyong rolls his eyes. “All vampires like faes. You and I are nothing but a cornucopia to them.”

“I’m right here, y’know, and not _all_ vamps,” Doyoung whines, his eyes going adorably wide when he attempts to seem innocuous. “But tell me, Jungwoo, does Taeyong dream about me in his sleep?”

“I’m not a dream-walker…” Jungwoo replies, twirling his chopsticks around. “But Taeyong—”

Taeyong slaps a hand over Jungwoo’s traitorous mouth. “No more stories, Jungwoo. We must ready ourselves for the eve.”

“Oh, yes, I shouldn’t eat too much,” Jungwoo says. “Oh, but now that Doyoung is here, will you lie with him?”

Taeyong chokes on his noodles. He had forgotten that traditionally, if there was another being willing, the Midsummer Eve tended to be punctuated with a tryst in the bushes. Didn’t even need to be in the bushes – just the joining of two bodies to celebrate the warmth of life. Fae culture had its usual bullshit, but even if he was half-fae, Taeyong knew how angry the earth could get if tradition was ignored. Previously, when it had only been him and Jungwoo and Yukhei, he would have laid outside to gaze at the stars by his lonesome, while Jungwoo did his thing with Yukhei.

“Right. Doyoung, get out of the house.” Taeyong stands up, shooing Doyoung. Taeyong grabs at Doyoung’s arm when Doyoung’s feet stay firmly rooted to the ground. “C’mon, this isn’t the time for jokes.”

Doyoung turns his head slowly towards him, red eyes sparking dangerously. “Why? What’s wrong?”

Flushing red, Taeyong balls his fists up. “I—I… I’m not going to sleep with anyone tonight just because it’s the Midsummer Eve.”

“Who said anything about sex?” Jungwoo asks, to which Yukhei grins widely around a mouthful of rice cakes. “It’s only lying together – no sex needed. Clothes fully on is fine.”

Doyoung smirks at Taeyong. “What’s got your mind in the gutter, honey?”

Taeyong slaps at Doyoung’s arm. Doyoung may look delicately thin, but he is wiry and solid, and Taeyong hates noticing how wide Doyoung’s shoulders are but goddamn. “Bye!” Taeyong says, stomping out of the room in embarrassment.

Making his way to the gardens, Taeyong embraces the humid summer air, finding a seat on a patch of grass by an old oak tree. For a few seconds of peace, Taeyong feels at ease despite having a vampire in his house. Faes have an affinity for the natural environment far stronger than any other being. Feeling the power of the earth thrum beneath him, Taeyong closes his eyes and concentrates.

But then Doyoung comes trudging through the gardens, a whiff of death and blood hanging onto him like overtures in a symphony. When Doyoung sits down next to Taeyong, their arms bumping, Taeyong opens his eyes, trying to seem annoyed to distract from how flustered he is by Doyoung’s presence.

“I’m here to lie with you. Jungwoo told me to come join you,” Doyoung answers with mild amusement. “Don’t worry, I won’t try anything.”

Glaring at him as a warning, Taeyong rearranges his body so that his back is flat on the grass, staring up at the night sky.

Doyoung joins him soon after, lying down beside him with nary a noise.

Taeyong glances at him, surprised to find Doyoung looking at him instead of the stars. Looking at him not as a meal, but as… It is hard to place, but Doyoung seems contemplative and wistful, almost. Doyoung becomes less of an evil monster and more like a trapped, lost soul – if vampires can have souls.

Trying not to think too much of it, Taeyong looks back to the sky. Maybe Doyoung isn’t as bad as he initially thought.

 

*

 

Taeyong knows of alternate realities, of alternate universes where sometimes nothing is the same, where sometimes everything is the same but one minute difference. That certain uncertainty is how he feels when Doyoung appears beside him, strangely interested in him – do they know each other from a past life? How else would he explain Doyoung’s profound attention?

“Just give him a blowjob!” Ten says, noisily sucking his chocolate thick-shake.

“Blowjobs aren’t the answer to everything,” Taeyong says, sighing. Seeing Ten begin to bob up and down with his mouth on the straw has Taeyong closing his eyes and hiding his face in the palms of his hands. Trust Ten to never give any good advice. “I don’t know why I even bother confiding in you.”

“Because you know sucking his dick would solve at least 99% of your problems,” Ten says matter-of-factly, wagging his finger now that he is done performing fellatio on his drink.

“And the 1%?”

Ten hums, pretending to think. Ten does not think like most rational people. He is a do-er, for he is nothing but a come-sucking incubus. “Well, I guess you’d have to ask a human because I was going to say sit on his face and choke him with your thighs until he declares his devout and undying love for you but I guess you’re too tsundere to do that?”

Taeyong pouts. “I’m not…” Quieting down when he spots Yoonoh and Sicheng making their way through the quaint cafe to their corner, he waves hello at them.

“What’s this about choking someone with your thighs?” Yoonoh asks, his usual friendly smile never failing to distract others from realising his true furry potential. As werewolves, both Yoonoh and Sicheng had superior hearing and olfactory senses, but on the downside, they both tended to end up naked in the woods for three nights every month. Both of them displayed equal traits of alpha dominance, but since Sicheng tended to be quiet more often than Yoonoh, he gave off a stronger sense of gravitas.

“It’s nothing,” Taeyong replies, waving away the topic.

“There’s a new vampire coven in town,” Ten says, sing-songing. How Ten always manages to look like he is about to spill the most scandalous tea of the century always confounds Taeyong. “And one of them is interested in Taeyong here.”

“Need us to chase them away?” Sicheng asks, managing to look disinterested at the same time.

In all honesty, Sicheng and Yoonoh remind Taeyong of big puppies instead of grizzly creatures of the moon, and he would never ask these pups to guard him. He doesn’t need their protection anyway. Taeyong shakes his head.

“Always use safe words,” Yoonoh adds. At Taeyong’s incredulous face, he continues, “What? Sometimes vamps can be the freakiest.”

“Not as freaky as me!” Ten says, cheering. Even though other patrons would usually be annoyed by the amount of noise coming from their table, Ten exudes charm and desire, making it impossible to ever be upset at him. “I could scout him out for you.”

“No!” Taeyong almost jumps at the thought, an inkling of possessiveness threading through his skin. At times like this, he is reminded of his half-human self, the part of him that feels base emotions and has no inclination to share. “I just… I don’t want things to be weird between him and me. I want… a normal relationship.”

Ten shrugs. Batting his eyelashes, he says, “I don’t know about normal, but I promise you that all relationships start with a good ol’ suck-down.”

“What’s a suck-down?” Sicheng mutters, confused at the slang.

“It’s when you get the cummies—”

“Ten, I think you should invest in a filter,” Taeyong says, shaking his head and trying to hide his amusement.

Sicheng still looks adorably lost. Granted, he is an international student hailing from mainland China and in the midst of learning the Korean language. “What’s… cummies?”

“Don’t say it, Ten,” Yoonoh says, throwing an arm around Ten’s shoulders and squeezing his arm. “Don’t corrupt another innocent soul.”

Ten opens his mouth, closes it, and then pretends to zip it shut. A lurid smile remains on his face as he goes back to sucking at his thick-shake.

Sicheng’s eyes remain wide in curiosity before he pulls out his phone to tap-tap-tap away and search up the meaning.

Yoonoh turns to Taeyong and says, “If this vamp hurts you, I won’t hesitate to stake him.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t hesitate either,” Taeyong replies, hoping Doyoung won’t ever give him a reason to.

“Maybe you should investigate him,” Sicheng says.

“We totally should!” Ten is adamant, nodding his head. His wide smile has Taeyong worrying what machinations Ten is already planning. “There’s this vampire club I’ve always wanted to go. They just re-opened under the name of _dreamies_ , all lower case, but I guess I’ll have to find my own capital D, aye.”

“D for disgusting,” Sicheng mutters. “I’m not coming.”

“You’re never coming – no wonder you’re so—”

“Now, now, let’s not fight,” Yoonoh says, placating Ten and Sicheng with that soothing voice of his. “Vampires just smell terrible to us is all. We’ll pass, but I’m sure there’s others who are keen.”

Unsure if he is willing to surround himself with vampires to figure out what Doyoung’s deal is, Taeyong sighs and decides fuck it. Even if Doyoung is a vampire, Taeyong cannot seem to stop thinking about him. Out of sight, out of mind, right? Except when he isn’t here, Taeyong finds himself wishing he was.

An epiphany hits Taeyong. “Oh shit, do you think being with Doyoung on the Midsummer’s Eve tied us together? And that’s why I keep… thinking about him?”

“Uh… nice excuse, but that’s just called being a thirsty hoe,” Ten replies, wagging his finger. Also his eyebrows. Taeyong needs to find friends who aren’t incubi, next time.

“I mean, it could be though,” Yoonoh reasons. “Either way, you’ll need Yukhei and his magick to enter the club unscathed.”

Taeyong face-palms, while Sicheng breaks into laughter. The only thing worse than a possible bond forming between a fae and a vampire is Yukhei casting magick.

 

*

 

The moment the sun sets, Yukhei begins the ritual.

“This will disguise you and ensure your safe presence whilst mingling with the vampires,” Yukhei says, attempting to be sage as he holds his arms out. While Taeyong stands in a circle with a five-pointed star drawn in chicken’s blood, entrusting his life to Yukhei for the sake of some dick, Ten is watching from his safe spot on the couch and chomping on popcorn.

“You sure you know what you’re doing?’ Taeyong reiterates, wanting any excuse to back out now, but Yukhei is far too enthusiastic and gleeful that someone is willing to be his guinea pig.

“Trust me, man!” Yukhei accidentally bellows in that loud, charismatic voice of his, mixing Korean and English. Sprinkling a few drops of holy water around Taeyong and then throwing cloves of garlic at his feet, Yukhei begins chanting. “Dracula, oh Count Dracula, heed my words! May the coven see him as one of your own, or shall you lay upon curds. For the night, give me this loan!”

A poof of smoke appears, and then Yukhei claps his hands. When he reveals his palms, there is a chain with a plain silver cross. “Wear this as a necklace,” Yukhei instructs, “and your true nature will be veiled. The spell will expire once the sun rises, so make sure to leave before then.”

“Okay, but why am I standing in this circle… and did you really need the holy water and garlic?” Taeyong says, taking the chain and stringing it around his neck.

“Performance art,” Yukhei replies with a broad grin. “Adds to the ambience, man! Feel it, yeah!”

“The garlic was about to expire,” Jungwoo explains from where he is sitting beside Ten. “And that was just tap water in a bottle labelled holy.”

Taeyong hopes Yukhei hasn’t accidentally cursed him.

“Okay, as much as I’d love to have Jungwoo feeling up my thigh while I watch his boyfriend,” Ten says, making Jungwoo pull back in embarrassed surprise, “I have to get Taeyongie dressed so he can finally suck a dick or two!”

“But vampires should have only one dick,” Yukhei says, confused. “Don’t tell me… this guy…”

“I heard sharks have two dicks,” Jungwoo adds unhelpfully.

“Oh my god!” Yukhei shrieks in English, before switching back to Korean. “A vampire shark? A shark vampire!”

Ten rolls his eyes, ignoring them as he dumps the popcorn bucket in Jungwoo’s lap. He motions to Taeyong and says, “Come on, kitty, I already have your outfit planned and Johnny is going to pick us up soon.”

Not one for clubbing, Taeyong lets Ten choose the outfit – very bare, very devoid of clothing, “Are you sure this counts as clothing, Ten? I think you’ve been ripped off.” Taeyong also lets Ten do his make-up, because when it comes to getting laid, you can always trust an incubi.

When they are ready, Johnny is already waiting for them by the door. Johnny is their resident ghoul who takes ass-eating to the literal. While Ten greets Johnny with a kiss to his lips, Taeyong gives him a quick one-armed hug before he enters the car.

The trip to _dreamies_ is speedy with hardly any traffic hindering their way. “Your shirt is really sheer,” Johnny comments, looking at Taeyong through the rear-view mirror.

“Ten chose it,” Taeyong says, picking at the red lace that barely covers his body. He can see his own nipples if he looks close enough, although he guesses that is the point.

Ten, himself, is wearing no shirt, choosing to don a black blazer and tight black jeans.

“I’ll pick you guys up after. Just give me a holler, okay?” Johnny says, when they arrive at the kerb of the club. Ghouls and vampires don’t get along, just like werewolves and vampires. Werewolves aren’t that fond of ghouls either. To be fair, ghouls tend not to fraternise with any species well, considering their preoccupation with consuming flesh, but Johnny is one of the few who is easy to befriend.

Ten saunters to the front of the line, Taeyong following behind dutifully. Shoving a few notes of cash into the bouncer’s chest, Ten says, “Just me and him,” motioning to Taeyong.

The bouncer nods, letting them in before the ones in line. With how the bouncer’s eyes trail after Ten, Taeyong can guess that the bribe was unnecessary, considering how easily others fall in lust with Ten. There is no one who can resist Ten’s enrapturing aura, except maybe Taeyong himself because he is just too used to Ten’s shit.

The inside of the club is surprisingly quiet compared to other clubs. Every surface is a sleek black and made of marble. No wood to be found. A funky jazz tune plays through the speakers, reverberating across the walls. There is a dance floor, a second floor higher up limited to VIPs, and a bar that serves drinks ranging from blood type AB martinis to demon spirits.

Scanning the room, Taeyong does not recognise anyone, although the lighting is rather poor and his vision is not as sharp as a vampire’s. Strangely enough, when he and Ten make their way through the hub-bub, all the vampires turn to look, their gazes lingering on him instead of Ten. Something is awry, and Taeyong can only guess it is the charm from Yukhei imparting the attention of the vampires. Thankfully, they aren’t leaping at him, so maybe Yukhei did do something right.

“Oh,” Ten says, looking up at the second floor, “that’s Mark – Lee Minhyung. He’s a vampire to look out for. Hella strong, not as old as some of the oldies here, and he’s nice. Maybe he knows your Doyoung.”

On the second floor, there is a throne situated in such a way that allows for an encompassing view of everything in the club. All Taeyong can see is Mark’s side-profile, with most of his features hidden by shadows but he doesn’t look older than nineteen.

As if he can sense their stares, Mark turns to look at them. He raises an eyebrow, stands up, and then disappears from view.

“What’s that about?” Taeyong asks, turning to Ten.

“Well, you can ask him yourself,” Ten says.

Taeyong follows Ten’s line of vision and yelps in surprise when he realises Mark is standing beside him. Mark is tall and gangly, standing awkwardly like a teenager still going through the final throes of puberty. Despite that, his aura radiates confidence and his wide brown eyes are piercing sharp with clarity.

“Hey, Ten,” Mark greets. “You brought a friend?”

“Yeah, this is Taeyong. He’s looking for a vampire called Doyoung. Ring any bells?” Ten says, jibber-jabbering like they are old friends.

Unsure of how to act, Taeyong remains at the edge of their conversation, aware that many of the vampire club-goers are watching them in avid curiosity. Silence and stoicism has always been Taeyong’s forte in the face of adversity, and although they don’t present an immediate threat, Taeyong knows better than to trust vampires, or Yukhei’s magick.

Mark nods. “Looks like a rabbit, right?”

“If rabbits can be sadistic dead creatures that feed on blood,” Taeyong answers.

“Taeyong,” Mark says, sounding solemn and making Taeyong flinch in fear that he might have offended him. Mark turns his head to the side as if inspecting him further and asks, “Have we met before? You look familiar.”

“I don’t think so,” Taeyong says, feeling as confused as Mark looks. “This is my first time here.”

“Taeyong isn’t much of a partier,” Ten adds.

Mark squints at Taeyong for a second more before he lets it go. “All right. Well, Doyoung doesn’t like clubbing either but he stills pop by to check in on us. I can let him know you’re here and looking for him, if you’d like.”

Taeyong shakes his head, while Ten nods vigorously.

“Embrace your inner thirst,” Ten insists.

“I’m not a vampire or an incubi.” The difference between him and Ten is glaring at times like this. While faes aren’t technically the perfect picture of restraint and remaining untainted, Taeyong finds no interest in overtly chasing after others – not even Doyoung. As much as he enjoys skin-ship, Doyoung is dangerous and probably has no intention of reciprocating anything innocent. Nodding to both Mark and Ten, he says, “I’m going to get a drink from the bar.”

Walking away, Taeyong is thankful when they don’t follow after him. He doesn’t want to be pressured into doing something he isn’t ready for – Ten wouldn’t do that to him, but even rejecting Ten’s suggestions has Taeyong uncomfortable. Upon reaching the bar, he orders a cola.

“Um, do you want the blood-infused kind or the human kind?” The bartender is a dhampir – half-human, half-vampire, which explains the tan colour of his skin and his lively, bright eyes. His name-tag reads Donghyuk, and that he is a trainee. When Donghyuk notices Taeyong’s line of sight, he explains, “The last bartender got mauled by a drunk werecoyote in heat, and Mark couldn’t find anyone else on short notice so… here I am!”

Taeyong raises an eyebrow, not too surprised that working at a vampire night-club comes with its issues. “I’ll just have the human kind. Of cola. Cola for a human stomach.” While Donghyuk fixes him his drink, Taeyong glances around out of habit, looking out for any dangers. For some reason, no matter how fleeting his glance or where he looks, there is always a vampire staring back at him. “I feel like I’ve stepped into some horror film,” Taeyong mutters.

“Don’t worry. They just think you’re good-looking,” Donghyuk comments, placing the glass of cola in front of Taeyong. “Vamps aren’t too clever when it comes to having tact.”

“They’re not gonna follow me and hunt me down though, right…?” Taeyong takes a sip of his cola, thankful for the modicum of non-vampiric normalcy. Donghyuk is easy to converse with, so there is that too.

“They might.”

Taeyong spins around, recognising the voice. “Doyoung…”

“That’s me.” Doyoung grins, slipping into the free seat next to Taeyong. He greets Donghyuk with a nod, and Donghyuk immediately gets to making what seems to be Doyoung’s regular drink. “Heard you were looking for me. Missed me?”

“You wish.” Taeyong turns red at Doyoung’s lavish attention, looking at the marble counter to avoid meeting his gaze.

Doyoung’s knee bumps against his under the counter. “Aw, you did miss me.”

“I forgot how annoying you are.”

Doyoung doesn’t even blink at the insult. “The way you flirt is so cute,” he says with a wide smile.

Taeyong’s heart does a stupid somersault. He hopes Doyoung doesn’t have the usual vampiric super sensitive hearing for heart sounds. “I’m. Not. Flirting.”

When Doyoung looks at him, nonplussed, simply taking a sip of his crimson drink with a wicked smile on his lips, Taeyong stands up, grabbing Doyoung by the arm and pulling him to the dancefloor. Doyoung follows without hesitation, without complaint, dawdling after him with confident, slow strides. Taeyong thinks it is unfair how Doyoung looks irresistibly good in something as plain as a white cotton shirt and black pants.

Doyoung’s arms are around his waist, pulling him close, and all Taeyong can think of is that he played himself. Every song in this night-club is slow and romantic, unlike the usual dub-step and EDM playlists of the living kind.

Taeyong winds his arms around Doyoung’s neck, looking up at him. Doyoung’s lips are stained red, and all Taeyong can think of is kissing him.

His hips moving to the music, Taeyong finds himself leaning closer and closer to Doyoung until there is nothing but one impulsive choice between them.

“Why me?” Taeyong questions.

Doyoung’s eyes flash with an indecipherable emotion. Can vampires feel anything apart from thirst and violence? Doyoung’s hands tighten around Taeyong’s waist, holding him in place like an anchor keeping a ship still in unsteady waters. “Why not you? Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answers to.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Taeyong feels ire bubbling up at how Doyoung is behaving like he knows him better than he, himself, does. Doyoung is the enigma here, acting unpredictably. One false move, and Taeyong isn’t sure if it is him or Doyoung that will make a run for it. There are a thousand and more reasons for them to not be together, but Taeyong can only say: “Is this all a game to you?”

“It’s not like that,” Doyoung says, and Taeyong can sense the sincerity in his voice. The hesitation, too.

“Then what is it?” Taeyong asks in frustration. “Just kiss me.”

When Doyoung says and does nothing, Taeyong thinks _fuck it._ He leans forward, closing the distance between them.

Doyoung flinches away, letting go of him, as though repulsed.

Taeyong stops, embarrassed. Doyoung refuses to meet his eyes, standing as still as a statue. Burning with shame, Taeyong steps away. If Doyoung didn’t want to kiss him, he should have said so earlier. If Doyoung wasn’t interested, he should have made it clear. Or perhaps, Doyoung had made it obvious he was uninterested, but Taeyong had projected his own feelings of desire on him.

Without another word, Taeyong races away, pushing through the throngs of vampires to get to the nearest exit. As much as he wants to apologise to Doyoung for being so forward, he mostly wants to hide until Doyoung forgets about his existence.

The exit takes him to a deserted back-alley behind the club. Thankful for the solitude, Taeyong takes a few deep breaths of the fresh air, trying to calm down. He must have looked like a desperate fool. As good-looking as others say he is, Taeyong knows he is awkward, especially when it comes to matters of seduction and what-not. He is no Ten. He isn’t much of a fae, either, really – just a bumbling human with the ability to sense the supernatural.

Sending a quick text to Ten that he is leaving early, Taeyong makes it a few steps out of the alley before he is confronted by a vampire, the same one who attacked him so many days ago.

“I think I understand why Doyoung is so into you,” Jeno says. It is a pity Jeno is a bloodthirsty vampire, considering how he looks more like a cute little brother.

“He’s not into me,” Taeyong corrects automatically, sounding defeated. The last thing he wants to deal with right now is another vampire, and one that knows Doyoung no less.

“He has it pretty bad for you, don’t worry, my little fae.” Jeno’s fangs elongate as he steps nearer. He glances at the cross on Taeyong’s chest and then halts, paralysed. “A Slayer? I won’t drink from you or kill you,” Jeno says, grimacing as he steps back into the shadows. “I’ll leave that to Doyoung.”

“What do you mean you’ll leave it to Doyoung?” But it is too late. There is no reply. Jeno has already disappeared, leaving Taeyong with only more questions.

 

*

 

The next day, Taeyong begins to find trinkets at his doorstep, ranging from a single thorny rose to bells attached to a cat collar. At first, he pays no mind to the items, thinking they are from Ten’s infatuated ex-lovers, but after several days, he comes to realise the items all have some relation to himself.

“I don’t understand who would do this,” Taeyong says, after showing Ten the latest present: a puppy plushie that is meant to resemble a dog from his childhood, only with a hole where its heart is meant to be. “I don’t know who’d stalk me to this extent?”

“I guess it is kinda creepy,” Ten replies, inspecting the toy. “Don’t think there’s a cam in the eyes though. Maybe we should get one of the wolfies to sniff out whoever it is.”

“You don’t think it’s Doyoung?”

“Nah, vampires are never this forward, leaving things behind. They’re creepy in that they’ll watch you while you sleep and jack off in the trees kind of way. This kind of behaviour makes me think of… hm… you know that Yuta kitsune in one of your classes? This is the kind of stuff foxes and wolves would think is romantic.” Ten throws the puppy onto the couch where all the other gifts are heaped.

“Yuta and I are just friends. I already made it clear to him I’m not interested in that way,” Taeyong says, some part of him disappointed that it might not be Doyoung. He hadn’t seen Doyoung since that night at the club, and even if he didn’t _want_ to see Doyoung, he still wouldn’t have minded if he did happen to bump into him. Or if Doyoung pursued him romantically. Whatever. “Let’s get Yoonoh to sniff this scent out.”

They meet Yoonoh at the university campus after one of his business classes. One of Yoonoh’s classmates and a djinn, Taeil, joins them. Taeyong chucks Yoonoh the toy.

Yoonoh immediately reacts with a disgusted face, throwing it back at Taeyong. “Yikes. Did you fart on this or something?”

“What? No! Someone keeps leaving gifts at our place. We just want to figure out who it is.”

“It’s a vamp. And you are not gonna get me to sniff that again.” Yoonoh makes another pained face as he starts walking towards the nearest convenience store. “I just want some milk.”

Taeil trots up to Taeyong. “I can figure out who it is for you, if you’d wish for it.”

“I’m not going to waste a wish on this,” Taeyong deadpans.

Taeil’s smile falters for a brief second. “Fine.” Taeil is an ill-fated fellow, drawn to whomever is in need of something. Once a wish is made and fulfilled, Taeil reaps their soul as his reward – which, unfortunately is why most people give him a wide berth. Most of the time, Taeil doesn’t seem like he is lonely, but Taeyong can tell from his usually despondent aura. As friendly as he seems, his only friends are Taeyong’s crew.

“I bet it’s the vamp that tried to attack you,” Ten pipes in, looping his arm around Taeil’s and Taeyong’s, as they follow after Yoonoh. “The one that called you a Slayer.”

“What’s a Slayer anyway? Like a vampire hunter?” Taeyong questions, trying to worm his way out of Ten’s hold.

“Oh, I know what a Slayer is!” Taeil’s face lights up, feeling useful. “They were like a chosen vampire hunter, chosen by the gods or something unbelievable like that. You’d get special powers and stuff so you could rival a whole bunch of vampires in a fight. But there hasn’t been a Slayer since the seventeenth century.”

“Why would someone call Taeyong a Slayer though? Even I push him around,” Ten says. “There’s no way he’s a Slayer.”

“It was because of the cross I was wearing,” Taeyong answers, stopping in his tracks. “He looked at the chain that Yukhei gave me and said it. I don’t even have that chain anymore, but he thinks I’m some powerful vampire hunter? Well, fuck. You think whoever is leaving all these gifts is warning me that I’m going to be the one delivered in pieces?”

There is no reply. Both Ten and Taeil look grim, and Taeyong knows something is definitely wrong.

 

*

 

With the help of Yukhei and a quick locating spell, Taeyong manages to find Doyoung’s supposed dwelling.

“I’m not stalking him. I just need to clarify some things before he tries to rip my head off,” Taeyong had reasoned to himself. Yukhei had been more than happy to help, since Taeyong didn’t want to chance a visit to _dreamies_ to ask Mark or Donghyuk in case he accidentally met Jeno or one of the other less friendly vampires.

Double checking he is at the right address, Taeyong stares at the sprawling mansion villa in front of him. A part of him understands that a vampire a millennia old would be able to accrue a decent sum of money and land over the years, but the incredulous part of him has him gaping at the luxury of it all. Walking up to the inter-com at the gate, he presses the door-bell.

It rings a few times to no answer, and before Taeyong can say anything, the iron gates open. Taeyong feels a sense of foreboding, as though he is descending through the gates of hell.

Stepping forward, Taeyong trudges past the circular fountain, over the nicely kept viridian grass to where the main entrance is, doors already open. Taeyong is sure they weren’t before. Steeling himself, Taeyong continues onwards onto the rich carpet and taking in the view of chandeliers and centuries old artwork. Multiple staircases lead elsewhere, but the only destination Taeyong has in mind is in front of the framed portrait hung up on the wall that looks oddly familiar.

Scrutinising the image, Taeyong is torn from his reverie by the echo of shoes. Turning around, Taeyong comes face to face with a teenage boy. One of the vampires who attacked him long ago.

“I’m Jisung,” he says, with a small quirk of his lips, surprisingly not malicious. Maybe it is because Jisung is rather small and doesn’t look like he wants to bleed Taeyong to death. “I’m surprised you came.”

“What do you mean?” Taeyong asks, realising now is a shit time to be cautious. He should have planned beforehand or something smart like that. He should have listened to Ten and brought a 2B pencil or some kind of basic protection. “You were expecting me?”

“The person in this portrait looks an awful lot like you, don’t you think?” Jisung comments, changing the topic. His eyes are fixated on the painting.

Taeyong nods, unsure where Jisung is going with the conversation. The person in the portrait bears a striking resemblance to Taeyong – sharp angle of the jaw, the shape of his lips, even the pale scar beside his eye. The person in the portrait is wearing a royal purple hanbok with an interwoven gold leaf phoenix that Taeyong has never worn before. His eyes are looking at the painter, full of emotion that Taeyong cannot comprehend. It is almost like looking in the mirror, except the image that looks back is a stranger with his facial features.

Glancing at the golden plaque below the frame, Taeyong reads:

_Lee Taeyong, 1547._

_Oil on canvas._

_Artist: Kim Dongyoung._

Confused, Taeyong turns to ask Jisung his innumerable questions only to realise Jisung has disappeared. Just his luck.

Right when he thinks he is alone, a curly-haired blond vampire pops into view.

“Hello!” Chenle says, his aura still signifying his vampire-fae mixed blood. “I was a fae like you before Doyoung turned me. You know the chances of successfully turning when you’re a fae? Less than one percent.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Taeyong watches Chenle’s grin turn macabre. “I’m not here to be asked to be turned.”

“Why do you think there are so many little vampires running around Doyoung?” Chenle asks, stepping up to pick a piece of lint off of Taeyong’s beige coat. “He was _so_ lonely without you.” Chenle frowns so severely that his whole aura goes pitch black.

“I’ve only known Doyoung less than a month…” Taeyong knows there is a story here, a tale that is meant to explain everything, but the more he finds out, the less he wants to know. “The person in the painting isn’t me.”

“Of course he isn’t,” Chenle says, giggling. He disappears, instantly replaced by another vampire.

Dark haired Renjun, who looks bored and is picking at the dried blood underneath his fingernails. “What the fuck, Chenle?” Renjun mutters, noticing Taeyong. “Oh, it’s you. Thought you’d have enough brains to stay away, but clearly not.”

Renjun leaves in a blur, leaving Taeyong alone for a momentary disorientating second before another vampire appears, as if all of Doyoung’s vampire children are trying to show him the extent of Doyoung’s melancholic loneliness.

This time it is Jaemin, and Taeyong is already dreading when he has to see Jeno. Jaemin looks him up and down, critical. He smiles, breaking the tension. “None of us have met the Taeyong of Doyoung’s past, but we’ve heard stories. His beauty is supposed to be unrivalled, but looking at you now, I’m not sure where he got that idea from,” Jaemin says, all with a cordial smile on his face.

Taeyong tries not to let the insult get to him. He knows the vampires are forlorn, that they might even blame him for their cursed immortality. Remaining wary but knowing he won’t be able to make a run for it, Taeyong stays still as Jaemin circles him like a shark playing with its prey.

“What do you want?” Taeyong asks.

“Well, I want to turn you into a vampire,” Jaemin answers. “See, the portraits weren’t enough to immortalise you – not for Doyoung, anyway. Seems nothing is enough for our sire. Except maybe the you of now.”

Another figure appears beside Jaemin – Jeno. As his hello, Jeno smiles, eyes turning into crescents. “And I want to kill you,” Jeno says, stepping forward while Taeyong steps back. “Just rip off your head, and gut your entrails. Paint your blood on the walls of our home, and remind Doyoung who really loves him: us. Remind Doyoung of who has been with him since his darkest hours: us.”

Taeyong’s back bumps against the wall. He sees now that each and every painting hung around him is of him, each and every one in similar and different styles of similar and different Taeyongs to represent Doyoung’s eternal love through the ages. There is no escape from the reminder of all that Doyoung has lost, and all that Taeyong cannot be. Taeyong gulps, wondering what had possessed him to enter a vampire lair alone and without protection.

Jeno snarls, looking very much unlike him. The true image of a monstrous demon appears. “When Doyoung looks at you, he must realise his chance for revenge. The least you could do is die.”

“If Taeyong is to die, he will die by my hands and my hands alone,” interrupts Doyoung, stepping into the lobby. The setting sun has no effect on him, even though he is a vampire who should be hurt by the ultraviolet radiation.

Jeno and Jaemin step away from Taeyong, bowing to Doyoung.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Taeyong wonders how many more times Doyoung is to save him. But then, Doyoung marches up to him, hand clasped around his throat, strangling him. Taeyong chokes, unable to breathe from Doyoung’s tight hold, and clutches at Doyoung’s unrelenting hands.

Before his vision begins to blur, Taeyong meets Doyoung’s cold gaze. The harsh eyes of a killer. Red.

“Lee Taeyong, I may have loved you once,” Doyoung says, breathing hard and words pained. There are tears – blood – flowing down his cheeks. “You may have fooled me once, but you shall not fool me again. Your life is owed for your betrayal, for slaying all those who I held dear. There is never a time too late for vengeance and I realise this now—”

Crying from the lack of air, Taeyong closes his eyes, hoping his fae powers won’t fail him now, lest he lose his life for his incompetence.

Time slows.

“—I love you. I’m sorry.”

Time stops.

Reverses.

Taeyong goes back to when he first met Doyoung.

When Doyoung first loved him.

If he can save Doyoung all those centuries ago, then maybe he can save himself. He only has one chance, but it is all he needs.

This is Doyoung’s chance for redemption.

This is Taeyong’s chance for survival.

 

*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rating will go up in part 2 :^3 also the historical au tag is for part 2

**Author's Note:**

> ([twitter](https://twitter.com/buttstrife) \- my ko-fi is linked on my twt; please consider supporting me through ko-fi if you can! comments/kudos/bookmarks are always highly appreciated! thank you♥)


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